VZCZCXYZ0029
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHCL #0851 2021440
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211440Z JUL 06
FM AMCONSUL CASABLANCA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7011
INFO RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 2822
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 3658
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0483
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 7654
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 1947
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS CASABLANCA 000851 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/MAG, EB/IFD, S/CT AND NEA/OFI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EFIN KTFN PTER MO
SUBJECT: ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING LAW TAKES SIGNIFICANT STEP 
FORWARD 
 
REF: A. CASABLANCA 00523 
     ¶B. CASABLANCA 000676 
     ¶C. CASABLANCA 00633 
 
This document is sensitive but unclassified - please protect 
accordingly. 
 
¶1.  (U)  On July 20th, the Ministerial Council presided over 
by King Mohammed VI approved Morocco's long-awaited draft 
Anti-Money Laundering (AML) legislation.  The 
royally-approved draft law can now be presented to Parliament 
when it convenes in the second week of October.  Both the 
upper and lower chambers of parliament will have the 
opportunity to discuss the draft before voting on it.  Within 
thirty days of parliamentary passage, the legislation will 
then be sent to the Royal Palace to receive the King's final 
seal.  Only then can the legislation be published in the 
official gazette and become law.  Given the time required to 
complete these next steps, we expect implementation of AML no 
earlier than spring 2007. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Comment:  AML passage and implementation remain 
the missing pieces in Morocco's counter-terrorism finance 
efforts.  The draft bill has languished for several years in 
inter-ministerial consideration.  However, approval of the 
bill by the royally convened Council of Ministers is a 
significant step forward for this long-awaited piece of 
legislation.  That said, banking contacts continue to warn of 
AML's potential negative impact on Morocco's large informal 
sector.  Banking contacts tell us that even if AML does enter 
into force in early 2007, implementation will be difficult 
and we can expect an unspecified "adjustment period" before 
the law can be considered fully in effect. 
End Comment 
GREENE